"Ecological damage caused long ago by whalers, pirates, and early settlers, and exacerbated by more recent human activity and the presence of aggressive introduced species, has disrupted natural biological processes in Galapagos and endangered many wildlife species. If left unchecked, the Islands will suffer irreversible losses of native and endemic wildlife and plant species.

Marine wildlife and the marine ecosystem have also been under tremendous pressure, especially due to fishing activities of the last few decades. In addition, ever-increasing maritime traffic and changes in ocean temperatures and currents due to global climate change create the potential for the arrival and establishment of increasing numbers of invasive marine species, which will negatively impact the native ecosystem.

Galapagos penguins, the rarest and most endangered penguin species in the world, are the only penguins that can be found at the equator. Unlike most cold water penguins, they have several adaptations that allow them to tolerate the warmer climate of Galapagos. One of the reasons for their endangered status is that limited options for nest sites exist in the Islands. Many nests used 40 years ago either no longer exist, are used by marine iguanas, or now get flooded.

There is now an attempt by researchers to reverse the decline of the Galapagos penguin population, and to strengthen the population so that it can better withstand the impacts of more frequent and intense climate fluctuations caused by El Niño events."1